Silence is a safe space to gather the pieces. Not the dramatic kind of safety that demands a triumph. Not the kind that waits for a speech, or a confession, or a grand declaration of courage. Silence is gentler than that. It is the quiet room after the storm has passed.  The hour before dawn, when the sky has not yet decided what color it will become. The pause between one breath and the next. In silence, the scattered fragments of a life begin to recognize each other again.